UK imposes new sanctions on Russia over illegal deportation of Ukrainian сhildren

That is according to an official statement posted on the UK government website, Ukrinform reports.

"Perpetrators of Russia's heinous policy to deport, indoctrinate and militarize Ukrainian children have been sanctioned today [3 September] by the UK. These include eight individuals and three organizations affiliated with the Russian state," the press release said.

These latest sanctions target the individuals and entities who support and carry out this insidious policy of attempting to erase Ukrainian culture. This includes organizations such as the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation which runs re-education programs for Ukrainian children and teenagers, subjecting them to militaristic training. Aymani Kadyrova, President of the Foundation, and mother of sanctioned Kremlin-aligned Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov has been sanctioned today as well.

Sanctions were also imposed on the youth organization "Movement of the First" and the group "Volunteers of Victory."

Additionally, the UK targeted several Russian officials and figures, including, Leyla Fazleeva, Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan, Rinat Sadykov, Tatarstan's Minister of Youth Affairs, Zamid Chalayev, commander of the Chechen special forces regiment, and Valery Maiorov, head of Russia's Federal Youth Center.

The UK government stressed that the measures come amid mounting evidence from military intelligence that "Russia is pursuing a long-standing Russification policy in illegally temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, seeking to eradicate Ukrainian culture, identity and statehood."

UN reporting shows that the Russian Federation have enforced Russian curriculum in schools in the temporarily occupied territories and implemented training which prepares children for Russian military service.

To date, more than 19,500 Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred or deported by the Russian authorities to Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

"The Kremlin's policy of forced deportations, indoctrination and militarization of Ukrainian children is despicable, and demonstrates the depths of depravity that President Putin will reach to erase Ukrainian language, culture and identity. To take a child from their home and seek to forcibly erase their heritage and upbringing through lies and disinformation can never be tolerated. No child should ever be a pawn of war and that is why we are holding those responsible to account," UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.

The UK imposed a similar sanctions package last year, marking 1,000 days since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, targeting ten Russian individuals and entities involved in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children.

Photo: History of Great Britain